Improvement in valves for steam-engines



UNITED STATESr PATENT OFFICE.

RALPH E. LEE AND GEORGE H. WREN, OF MAHANOY CITY, FA., ASSIGNORS TOTHEMSELVES AND JOHN C. NORTHALL, OFA SAME PLAGE.

IMPROVEMENT IN VALVES FOR STEAM-ENGINES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 811,064, dated November17, 1868.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that We, RALPH R. LEE and GEORGE H. WHEN, of Mahanoy City,in the county of Schuylkill and State of Pennsylvania, have invented anew and useful Improvement in Steam Pumping-Engines; and we do herebydeclare that the following is a full, clear, and exact descriptionthereof', which will enable others skilled in the art to make and usethe same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming partof this specification, in which- Figure 1, Sheet I, is a longitudinalelevation or outside View, with the cap of the steamchest oft'. Fig. 2is a horizontal longitudinal section through the line z z of Fig. 4.Fig. 3 Sheet II, is a longitudinal section of Fig. 4 through the line yy. Fig. 4 is a cross-section of Fig. 3 through the line x fr.

Similar letters of reference indicate like parts. Y

This invention relates to the manner in which the valves of pumping andother engmes are operated; and it consists in the construction ofthemain valve and steam-chest, and the manner in which steam is admittedthereto for the movement of the valves, as will be hereinafterdescribed. i A represents the cylinder of the engine. B 1s thesteam-chest. C is the main valve. D is the piston. The main valve Ccontains a double cylinder, having' a partition-plate, E, in its center,which divides the cylinder into tWo parts.

To the right and left sides of the steamchest two heads or stationaryabutments are attached, (marked, respectively, F and G.)

These heads are tted to the parts of the valvecylinder by steam-tightpacking, as seen in the drawing at h.

J is a small steam-chest, which is attached to and in connection withthe main steamchest B, which chest is provided with a valve, f. Thischest takes steam from the main steam-chest, and exhausts it into themain exhaust-passage.

L is a rod, which passes through the small steam-chest J, to which thevalve k is attached, as seen in Fig. 2.

The valve-rod L is given a longitudinal motion by the movement of themain piston in the cylinder A, through tappets m, which enter thecylinder at each end, so that they are moved by the piston near thetermination of each stroke. These tappets are attached to short shaftsu. o represents an arm on each of these shafts, to which the ends of thevalverod L are attached.

It will be seen that the small valve 7c will be operated by thismovement, and the steamports p will be opened and closed accordingly.These ports or passages p discharge steam directly, through the heads orabutments F and G, into the small cylinders of the main valve, as seenin the drawing. The steam thus admitted acts directly on the valve, bythe partition E pressing it back and forth, thereby opening and closingthe main steam-port q and operating the engine.

R is the exhaust-port.

The main valve, although containing a double cylinder, as described, isa sliding valve, operating, with regard to the ports of the engine, thesame as the ordinary D-valve. The main valve-seat is seen in Fig. 2, andthe small valve-seat in the chest J is seen in Fig. 1.

The small valve is so operated that steamcushions are formed in the mainvalve-cylinders, and the operation of the main valve is such thatsteam-cushions are formed for the pistons at the termination of eachstroke, thus giving a soft and elastic motion to the engine, andpreventing the shock and jar which occur from the sudden 'letting on ofsteam, and from other causes, and which have proved so destructive inengines of ordinary construction.

Although this valve-movement is more particularly designed forpumping-engines, We do not confine ourselves exclusively to that classof engines, but design applying it to all steamengines Where theadvantages to be derived are considered sufficiently important toWarrant the application.

Having thus described our invention, We heads F Gr with relation to thesteam-ports p, claim as new and desire to' secure by Letterssubstantially as herein shown and described.

Patent- The above specification of our invention l. The main valve C,constructed substansigned by us. tially as herein shown and described.RALPH R. LEE.

2. The combination of the valve' C with the GEORGE H. VREN. stationaryheads F G of the steam-chest, sub- Witnesses: stantially as herein shownand described. F. B. DUHER,

3. The arrangement of the valve C andl E. F. WASHBURN.

